


A Cozy LeBlanc Eve

by CinnamonZor



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), F/M, Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:43:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16947219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonZor/pseuds/CinnamonZor
Summary: Akira has finally been released from prison. And just in time to spend Valentine's Day with Haru! A novel-style extension of Haru's in-game Valentine's event told from her perspective.





	A Cozy LeBlanc Eve

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of precious, precious cinnamon roll Haru's birthday, I wrote this cute extension of her in-game Valentine's event! It just took five whole days after to post it due to user error (-_-). Still, I wasn't gonna just not post it once I figured out how. Forehead-chan deserves the love! Particularly from Akira, the pairing of which has quickly cemented itself as my headcanon for our badass semi-silent protagonist. Hope you like it! Partly because I plan to write more in the future...

The sun had almost fully set over the narrow walkways of Yongen-Jaya as Haru Okumura left the train station. She blissfully strolled down the path toward LeBlanc in eager anticipation of the plans she had made for the evening.

She had visited the café several times before, most of which were thoroughly enjoyable. Today, however, would surely be the most enjoyable thus far. It was February 14th, 2017: Valentine's Day. And Haru intended to spend the evening with Akira in celebration. The two had been dating since early December, but they had unfortunately spent the past two months apart after Akira turned himself in as leader of the Phantom Thieves. Just the thought of how awful that Christmas had been for them both brought back somber feelings for Haru.

But those days of sadness and fear were gone. Akira was finally free and had kindly accepted Haru's request to spend Valentine's Day together. They could finally make up for the all the strife they experienced just to help each other.

After about a minute of getting lost in her thoughts, Haru snapped out of it and stopped herself mere centimeters from the door to LeBlanc. She had been walking on auto-pilot the whole time and nearly walked face-first into the door. Haru hesitated for a bit from nervousness, quickly checked the state of her floofy hair with her phone's selfie camera, and peeked into her purse one more time to make sure the gift she prepared was still inside. She had done this about five times on the train and once more before leaving the station. She knew it was probably overkill, but she wanted to make sure it stayed presentable until it was time to give it to her boyfriend.

 _You'll do great,_ she thought to herself. _Don't overthink things. Just be yourself._

After taking a deep breath, Haru mustered the confidence to open the door to the café and calmly step inside. The little bell on the door rang as she entered and the dusty, yet soothing atmosphere of LeBlanc. It almost felt like the room itself was welcoming her. She looked around the room for Akira, spotting Sojiro facing toward the kitchen and Morgana lying belly-first on one of the bottom stairs to the attic. The black kitty perked up at the sound of the bell and looked at Haru from across the room. Sojiro stopped talking in the middle of a sentence about when he was someone's age (she only heard the last couple words of it) and turned to face her as well.

"…Good evening," Haru politely told Sojiro in greeting. She noticed the goateed man was still wearing his apron and heard the sound of running water being shut off in the kitchen area as Akira stopped doing the dishes. "Ah, the store is still-" It seemed the café had not yet closed for the day. Had she come too early?

"Hey, Haru," Akira cheerfully called out as he walked out from the kitchen with a slight wave and a smile, stopping halfway down the room from her. Sojiro looked at Akira, then back to Haru. A smile emanating a mood somewhere between warm and smug crossed his face.

"Ohhh…" he mused. "You should've just told me." He turned to face Akira again. "Here, I'll leave the store to you. Enjoy yourselves," he said with a hint of pride in his voice before starting to close down and leave. Morgana, who had also connected the dots, hopped off the stairs and stood alongside Akira, looking at both the former Phantom Thieves with a sly grin.

"Mewhehehee…" The talking cat snickered mischievously while staring up at Haru. He then proceeded to take the same hint as Sojiro and walked over to the door to be let out.

Akira stared at Morgana with an unamused glare. "You may zip it and get out too, you little weirdo," he instructed the feline with an almost deadpan tone. He then took off his apron and threw it just to the right of the cat to shoo him out the door with Sojiro. Haru's cheeks turned pink at Morgana's probably less than noble insinuations as she sat in one of the booths across from Akira.

"Oh, Mona-chan…" she muttered, clearly embarrassed.

"It's cool. Just ignore him," Akira suggested to comfort her. "He may be adorable, but that doesn't excuse him from getting scolded when he acts like a little shit." He let out a small chuckle and tried to smooth the wrinkles out of his shirt.

"I'm sorry," Haru apologized, feeling somewhat guilty. "You must be tired."

"Don't worry about it," Akira replied. "You of all people know I've dealt with way worse than just working at a café all day." Haru could admittedly agree with that, but she cared dearly for Akira. She had every reason to be concerned for his wellbeing.

"I am worried though," Haru interjected. "After all, it's you we're talking about. If you were to wear yourself out because of me…" She slightly lowered her head and looked to the side.

"Aww," chirped Akira. He smiled cheerfully and started to blush. "Thanks, Haru. You're really sweet, you know that?" Haru looked back up at him, her face turning even pinker from the compliment. Her foot bumped into the purse she was keeping under the table, reminding her that she brought something for him.

"Um…" she stuttered, reaching into her purse and retrieving the neatly-wrapped gift from inside. She lifted it onto the table and placed it in front of her. "I… want you to have this. I actually made it myself." Akira looked at the gift, held his hand gently over his mouth, then looked back up at Haru.

"Wow. I… I'm amazed, Haru." His face turned bright pink, clearly touched by her gesture. This was the happiest Haru had seen him in a long time, invoking a similarly obvious blush from her.

"Thank goodness," she said, relieved that he was impressed by the chocolate. And to think, this evening wouldn't have happened without everyone's hard work to prove his innocence. "More importantly… I'm so happy you were able to get out earlier than we had expected… I was thinking I would have to mail it to you…"

"Sorry to worry you," Akira responded, this time giving a guilty look himself. "I… I just wanted to protect everyone… None of you would have deserved getting arrested just for saving the world… Especially you… If… If anything happened to you, I… I'd never forgive myself." Haru realized his eyes were starting to water through his glasses.

"Oh…!" She started to feel bad for making him look back on sad memories. Yet for some reason, hearing him share such touching feelings toward her in such a manner also made her feel unusually glad. "My apologies! I didn't mean it like that…" she sputtered, feeling just as guilty herself.

"Nah, don't worry about that either," Akira replied, sounding even more flustered than she was. "It's in the past. All that matters is you're fine. Plus I get the extra benefit of hanging out with you today, so it all worked out better than I could have imagined." He wiped his eye with one finger, then readjusted his glasses and went back to his usual friendly demeanor. "Anyway, how've you been lately? Something's bound to have happened over the past couple months."

"Oh, yes!" Haru blurted, relieved to move on to a happier subject. "I've received an unofficial offer from Okumura Foods. It seems I'll be participating in the coffee chain project even while I'm at college."

"Wow! That's amazing," Akira congratulated her. "They'll be lucky to have you."

"Hee-hee. Thank you," Haru responded, looking upward reflectively. "Starting in April, I'll be on my way to becoming a full member of society… Am I going to be OK?" Admittedly, she had her doubts. She had only started learning about business recently, plus she'd be busy with school for the next few years as well.

"I'm sure you will." Akira nodded, trying to reassure her. "You're one of the most capable and dedicated people I know. You don't have to doubt yourself." Haru smiled. Hearing Akira confirm his belief in her was just the boost her confidence needed.

"Just hearing you say those words make me feel like I'll be able to accomplish anything," she said with a big smile on her face.

"No problem. Anyone responsible for helping kill a malevolent deity should be able to conquer anything." Akira smiled back affectionately, slightly chuckling at his own joke again. Haru wondered to herself how someone so kind would actually feel such a way toward her. He was such an amazing person to her, especially when compared to her father and Sugimura.

"Ummm…" Haru stuttered, trying to muster the courage to get closer to him. "May I sit next to you…?" Her face turned pink again as soon as she said it. She looked over at Akira, who turned a similar shade of pink and nodded.

"Y-yeah! Of course!" he responded, clearly just as flustered by Haru's request as she was. "I would honestly support it even if you didn't ask." He took a bit to collect himself as Haru moved the chocolate closer to him and walked over, sitting down in the booth next to him. As soon as she sat down, Haru felt like all her troubles had vanished from existence. Like the two of them were all that existed or mattered. It was the best she'd felt in a long time.

"This is so calming…" she said blissfully. Suddenly, one of the thoughts she had concerning Akira crossed her mind. She felt she needed to ask about it, hesitating for a second before speaking again. "You're… returning home next month, yes?" Her mood became slightly somber once more. "I'll be busy with work by then as well… so we…" Her voice trailed off. She started to wish she hadn't brought it up. Wished that she hadn't darkened the mood again. She didn’t want a repeat of the discord from their date on Christmas Eve just before Akira turned himself in. They both stayed silent for a second or two before Akira spoke up again.

"I'll admit, things will definitely be different," he said warmly, "but that doesn't mean they have to change. I know it'll be difficult, but I don't intend to lose touch with anyone I've met here." Akira reached over and held Haru's hand, facing her with an affectionate smile. "That goes double for the rest of the Phantom Thieves and Sojiro, but for you, I will gladly triple it. That much, I can promise you." Haru turned to him and smiled as well, taking his promise to heart with determination.

"…You're right," she confidently agreed, wrapping her fingers around Akira's as well. "I will come visit you on my days off. Besides, we can easily text or call each other when we have the opportunity."

"That's the spirit," Akira affirmed her. "Like I said, don't worry. Things will work out as long as we try. I'd say you're completely worth putting in a little effort."

"…You know," she thought out loud, "I had so much I wanted to tell you, but I forgot it all the moment I saw your face." She smiled gently at Akira. "Truthfully, I spent all that time waiting for your release, so living a little further away is nothing…" Haru scooted a little closer to Akira, tilting her head and resting it on his shoulder. And everything around them just vanished from her mind once more. If only this moment could last forever…

"I'm sorry," she apologized once more. "Just for now…" Akira tilted his head as well, resting it on hers. For some reason, neither of them were blushing anymore. Neither of them were nervous or afraid of acting awkwardly. It just felt so calm and natural.

"No problem," Akira responded. "Your hair's super comfy. It's honestly really adorable." He let go of Haru's hand and instead wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her into a cozy one-armed hug. "And… I just like being here with you. So… never worry about apologizing."

"Thank you," Haru replied, her voice even softer than before. "…I may even fall asleep like this…" She felt her eyes getting heavier. She wanted to stay awake and talk some more with Akira, but staying up till three in the morning making chocolate was taking its toll. Being here with Akira like this made her feel more warm and secure than she ever had before. A minute or so of silence passed before she drifted off to sleep.

However long later, Haru slowly woke up. It took a bit for her to realize the world around her was almost as dark as it was while her eyes were closed. She quickly sat up, trying to figure out where she was. Through the moonlight provided by the window to her right, she was able to make out the room's wooden rafters, large Phantom Thieves poster, wooden work desk with a bunch of lockpicks on it, and shelf of various novelty items collected from around the city, at least one of which she remembered giving to Akira. She recognized this place. It was the attic space of LeBlanc where Akira had been living for the past year.

 _How did I get here?_ This was her first thought. She remembered falling asleep in the café area during her evening with Akira. Did he carry her up here? Come to think of it, where was Akira? Haru knew that he was a bit of a night owl, but according to the clock on her phone, it was around 2:30 in the morning. There's no way he could still be up and about at this hour, right?

Her questions were soon answered in the form of a small snore coming from the side of the room next to the work desk. It was too dark at the source of the noise for Haru to see from the bed, so she got up and walked over to the old futon to investigate. There she found Akira lying on the futon, sleeping peacefully, but noticeably cramped within the small surface, which was only made to fit two sitting people. She had to admit, seeing him asleep like this was surprisingly adorable.

Then a thought crossed Haru's mind. Not only did Akira go out of his way to carry her all the way upstairs so she could sleep peacefully, but he was even considerate enough to sacrifice his personal comfort just for her own. Haru smiled, realizing his sense of compassion and self-sacrifice really did seem to have no bounds. She was so happy to have such an amazing boyfriend. One who really did care enough to do such a thing for her at his own expense.

Still, she knew she couldn't just leave him there. Especially after he had been so considerate towards her. After all, he could easily catch a cold or mess up his back from sleeping on a tiny futon like this all night. Haru definitely didn't want his extended discomfort on her conscience. With a sense of empathy as strong as hers, the guilt could easily last at least a month.

Being extra careful not to wake him, Haru lifted Akira by the back of his shoulders and under his bent knees, carrying him over to his bed. Fortunately, she had been training with heavy battleaxes for the past several months, so gently carrying a notably fit teenager for a bit was no difficult task. She slowly set him down on the leftmost side of the mattress and pulled the covers over him. Akira unconsciously rolled in his sleep, turning to face the window. Just before he turned over, however, Haru thought she saw his mouth form into a faint smile.

Being careful not to disturb Akira once more, Haru gently pulled back the covers next to him, returning to bed herself. She tucked herself in, turning toward the still sleeping Akira, who was currently facing away from her. Smiling tenderly, she slowly wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly in a warm hug.

As she slowly drifted back to sleep, Haru continued to hold him close. Giving Akira a quick kiss on the back of the neck, she fell asleep once more, staying by his side for as long as she possibly could, knowing in her heart that this Valentine's Day was everything she had hoped for and more.

**Author's Note:**

> Quick shoutout to Doadude, whose "Noir's Secret Mission" series helped immensely in cementing these two as my P5 OTP (as for the franchise as a whole, they're still in a heated debate with Kanji x Naoto). Also, Happy Belated 20th Birthday to Haru, of course! I plan to write at least a couple more Joker x Haru fics occurring after this one chronologically ('cuz no way I'm beating Doadude's version of what came before it).


End file.
